A/N AT LAST! A new Chapter for you! Sorry it's taken so long, My Co Author and I have each had our share of real life issues that have kind of gotten in the way of this story. Hopefully it won't be as long until the next chapter!
Reviews always welcome!
...
Chapter Five
You're Making Me Cry!
"We need to talk," Kurt said, as Blaine sat down next to him in the refreshment tent.
Blaine looked at him, startled. "Are you breaking up with me?"
"What?! No! Of course not! I didn't mean that!" Kurt said, realizing what he'd said. "I meant about the Express Pass!"
"Oh!" Blaine said, smiling. "You had me worried there for a heartbeat!"
Kurt giggled a little hysterically, and leaned over to kiss the darker man. "I'm never saying goodbye to you!"
Blaine smiled and kissed him back. "Good! Okay, so, the Express Pass?"
"Yes. It must be used before the end of this coming leg, and I think we should give it to a team that actually needs it. We've been doing really well without it, but I can think of a team that needs it more than us."
"Nick and Jeff?" Blaine guessed.
Kurt smiled at him. "If they hadn't helped us out in San Francisco, they would have won the pass."
The curly haired man smiled. "I love you."
"I love you, too." He leaned in to kiss the other man once more. "I want you so bad right now," he whispered.
Blaine moaned. "I want you too, but there's nowhere private around here."
Kurt sighed and kissed him again. "Soon."
The sound of a throat clearing interrupted them. Kurt closed his eyes and counted to ten, before turning to Mercedes.
"I'm sorry, Boo. I just wanted to let you know that Adam and Chandler won't be bugging you tonight. We've all taken the bunks around yours, so the two losers will have to go through us, and if they try, they'll get their heads knocked together."
Kurt smiled at the big-boned goddess. "Thank you, Mercedes. And tell the others thank you, too."
She smiled and hugged both men, before leaving them alone in the refreshment tent.
Blaine sighed. "I don't get it."
"What's that?" Kurt asked, taking a sip of his iced tea.
"I can't understand why you dated them! Well, okay, I get Adam, sort of, but Chandler? What did you ever see in him?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Technically, I didn't date Chandler."
"What?"
Kurt took another long drink of his iced tea before responding. "We were in the same study group at NYU. He seemed okay at first, and we were friends, or so I thought. But every now and then he'd text me and say the group had scheduled an extra study session, and when I arrived, he'd be the only one there. He'd say the others all called off for one reason or another. The first time it happened, I didn't think anything of it. He suggested that since it was just the two of us, we should see a movie and hang out. I figured why not, two friends hanging out, no harm, right?
"The second time it happened, I was really tired, I'd worked my shift at the diner I worked at to pay the bills, and had put in a full day at Vogue, running errands for Isabelle. I was starving, so he suggested we get dinner together, and took me to this fancy place on the upper east side. I told him I couldn't afford a place like that on my salary, and he said not to worry, he'd pay for it. I wasn't comfortable with that, but like I said, I was tired and starving, so I accepted, but after that, whenever he texted me that there was an extra study session, I always brought coffee and a sandwich, and made sure we actually studied.
"One night after one such study session, he insisted on walking me to the subway station, but we ran into his parents. Chandler seemed to not want me to meet them, and at first I didn't understand why, until his mother introduced herself, and said it was such a pleasure to finally meet her son's boyfriend. Needless to say, I was shocked, and stammered out that I wasn't his boyfriend, which is when things really got awkward.
"His mother insisted that Chandler had referred to me as his boyfriend many times, and had told them all about our first couple of dates. When I insisted that we had never gone on any dates, she mentioned the night we'd gone to the movies, and the night he'd taken me to dinner.
"Of course it was at that point that Liesel showed up. She was another member of our study group. She'd overheard part of what was going down, and said that he'd told her that not only were we dating, but that we were hopelessly in love and talking about getting married! I was pissed, and told him that I wouldn't date him if he was the last man on the planet.
"It was around that time that I'd changed my career decision from musical theater to design, and by the end of the month I'd transferred to Parsons, but every now and then, I'd spot him following me. One time he followed me when my dad was visiting. I told him if he didn't leave me alone, I would get a restraining order. He made the mistake of trying to grab my arm, and my dad clocked him upside the head with a tire iron. I didn't see him again after that. I thought he'd finally gotten over me. Apparently I was wrong.
"The guy is psycho!" Blaine said. "You definitely need to check your apartment for bugs when we get back."
"I plan to, but I'm also going to move as soon as I possibly can!"
Blaine nodded, and hugged him tight.
…
"Well?" Sam asked as Mercedes returned from the refreshment tent. "How are they doing?"
Mercedes shrugged. "They seemed okay, although you could cut the tension with a knife. I'm pretty sure Kurt was counting to ten under his breath, trying not to go all snarling hellhound on me when I walked in on them."
Sam nodded. "Santana said those two were ready to explode. It's like Pon Farr, on a gay level!"
Mercedes frowned at her boyfriend. "Pon Farr? Is that a Star Trek reference?"
The blonde man nodded eagerly. "Yeah, but instead of one violent, sexually frustrated male, there are two of them! I still say we should lock them in a closet somewhere and let them get it out of their system."
"And how do you propose we do that without getting them eliminated from the race? The plan won't work if they get eliminated!"
Sam shrugged. "I don't know! Maybe an airplane bathroom instead of a closet?" The diva just glared at him, and he shrank back. "Or not…"
Mercedes crossed her arms over her chest. "What we need to do is nothing! Leave the two of them alone, and make sure no one else disturbs them when they do finally have some privacy."
Sam only nodded, and hugged her.
…
As they left the refreshment tent, Kurt and Blaine stopped to admire the full moon reflected in the waters of the bay.
"It's beautiful," Kurt murmured, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder
Blaine smiled, holding his hand. "Come on, I have an idea!"
They wandered down the beach a ways, far enough from the rest tent and the others that no one would be able to spot them in the dark. Blaine stopped and pulled Kurt into a heated kiss against a rock out cropping.
Kurt clung to the shorter man, already so aroused that it wouldn't take much to push him over the edge. A whine escaped his throat when Blaine's hand slid down between them and cupped him through his jeans.
"Shhh! Easy, babe!" Blaine murmured. "I'm going to take care of you!" And the darker man lowered himself to his knees, quickly freeing Kurt's cock, licking from the base to the tip, swirling around the head, and kitten licking the sensitive ridge a few times, before taking most of it into his mouth.
Kurt gasped, throwing his head back. He couldn't breathe, it felt so good. Blaine slowly pulled back, hollowing his cheeks, drawing out the sensation before dipping back in.
"Oh fuck, Nicky! Yes!" Kurt's eyes flew open at Jeff's voice, and a low snarl rumbled from his pale throat as Blaine pulled off in shock.
"No! No no nonononono!" Kurt screamed as he stormed around the other side of the rock, death glare firmly in place. Nick and Jeff gaped at him like two children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "You two couldn't find somewhere else to make out? You just had to find the same dark section of beach? I was this close to finally getting off, and you had to interrupt!"
"Kurt!" Nick said, a little touch of fear in his voice. "We didn't know you were here! I swear! We're so sorry!"
"But why here? Why now?" Kurt said, still not mollified. "You two live together! It's not like you don't see each other every freaking day! Blaine and I don't have that luxury! We just want a little privacy! Fuck, it wasn't this hard to sneak around on the last race!"
Jeff looked contrite. "We're so sorry, Kurt! We'll leave you two alone!" The blonde man grabbed his boyfriend and dragged him away, breaking into a run.
Kurt immediately felt guilty for shouting at the other two, and hung his head in shame.
…
"Oh my god!" Nick said, gasping for air a few minutes later. "Poor Kurt!"
"Yeah, I don't blame him for being mad!"
Nick looked at his boyfriend. "No, that wasn't what I meant. He's going to be so upset when he realizes he hadn't zipped himself back up before confronting us!"
Jeff looked at the shorter man. "You looked at his penis?"
The darker man blushed. "I didn't mean to! But oh my goodness, Jeff, is that man big!"
Jeff, raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "How big?"
…
Kurt muttered a curse under his breath as he realized he was still exposed. And still erect. For a brief moment he thought about continuing where they'd left off, but then he remembered they actually still had to talk to Nick and Jeff about the Express Pass. And he felt like he should apologize to the other couple for blowing up at them.
They straightened their clothes and headed back to the rest tent, seeking out the other couple.
"I'm sorry," Kurt said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You didn't know we were there."
Nick was blushing, but Jeff just grinned at him. "It's okay, Kurt, we understand, and we're sorry. You were right, Nick and I see each other every day. You and Blaine have been trying to have a long distance relationship. It's harder for the two of you to have time alone together."
"I still shouldn't have yelled at you guys," Kurt said, sitting down on the cot across from them. "And as an apology, Blaine and I want to give you something."
Blaine held out the yellow envelope that had the Express Pass in it. Jeff just stared at it.
"We can't take that!"
"It's okay," Blaine said. "It has to be used by the end of this next leg, and we really don't need it. We just want you guys to stay around a little longer. We really enjoy your friendship, and it's nice to have teams around we can trust. Unlike some teams."
The other two men exchanged a look. "Are you sure?" Jeff asked.
"Positive," Kurt said, smiling at them.
Nick accepted the envelope. "Thank you, both!"
"Yeah," Jeff nodded. "You really didn't have to do this."
"We wanted to!" Blaine said.
…
"Cap Diego was once a military establishment on the northern point of Madagascar. This outcrop near the beach was the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The teams remaining here have no clue what lays in store for them!
"Will and Emma, who were the first to arrive at 3:44 PM, will depart at 3:44AM."
…
"This is so exciting!" Emma said, waiting for the PA's signal to open the clue. "I never thought we'd ever win a leg! I was just glad when we weren't eliminated this time!"
Will smiled and hugged her. "I believed we could, if the circumstances were right! You need to have a little more faith in yourself, and us!"
"I do now!"
The PA gave the signal, and Emma ripped open the envelope. "Fly to Lungi, Sierra Leone, Africa, and drive yourselves to Freetown!"
"Africa?" Will exclaimed. It was a place he'd wanted to visit someday, but it was also one of the places he knew Emma would have difficulty with, but then, he'd thought she'd have difficulty here in Madagascar as well, and she had made it through with flying colors. He studied her face, to see how she was taking this, and smiled when he saw that she seemed just as excited as he was. She really had come so far!
…
"This woman continues to amaze me everyday, and I fall in love with her more and more as I see her bloom like a flower. I can't wait for the kids back home to see this, because I know how much she cares about them and wants them to succeed. Hopefully they will see how much she's accomplished and be inspired to do their best all the time."
…
"Is that Tina and Mike?" Blaine asked, as they entered the airport in Antsiranana, spotting the other couple rushing out another door.
"Damn," Kurt said. "I knew they were behind, I just didn't know they were that far behind! It's more than an hour from here to Kite Camp, and another from Kite camp to the Pit Stop!"
"Maybe it will be a non elimination?" Blaine said, even as they made their way to the ticket counter.
"It can't be, the last leg was a non elimination. They haven't done them back to back since season eleven, I think."
"Oh," Blaine said with a frown, glancing back to where their friends were getting into a cab.
They purchased tickets back to Antananarivo, the only airport in the country from which they could fly to Africa. Unfortunately, they would not be able to book tickets past that until they arrived in the capital city of Madagascar.
…
"Sierra Leone?" Mercedes said, smiling as she read the clue over Sam's shoulder. "We're going to Africa! I'm going to get to see where my ancestors came from!"
"I'm so excited for you, Baby!" Sam said, kissing her cheek as they made their way to the boat dock to catch a water taxi. "Maybe I should research my ancestry. All my dad knows about his great grandparents is that they came from Germany, and my mom thinks her family may have come from central Europe somewhere."
"You don't know where your ancestors came from?" Mercedes asked as they pulled away from the dock.
"Not really. I've always wondered about it, though. It'd be awesome to discover I was related to some historical figure."
"My mom did one of those DNA tests to try and trace our ancestry," Mercedes said. "Turns out we're related to a former queen of Ghana, Asantewa, who led an uprising against British rule in 1900."
"You never told me you were royalty!" Sam said.
"We're not. My great grandmother was something like a third cousin, several times removed, so our line was pretty much out of the line of succession."
"Well, you'll always be a queen in my eyes."
"Awe, you're so sweet!" She kissed his cheek. "Now let's go kick some butt on this race!"
…
"Well Becky, the trail may be hot, but my Le Car is cold," Sue said as she and Becky walked away from the ticket counter, having successfully booked seats on the first flight.
"Because it's cold outside Coach?" Becky, who was carrying both their packs, asked as Sue had what she called random back pain that seemed to only flare up if she had to carry too much weight.
The woman in the tracksuit shook her head. "No because it's been sitting unused since it's tail pipe was stuffed with tater tots. The brat who did it still owes me for damages."
"Right coach," Becky replied.
The two of them found seats away from the rest of the motley crew and Sue swiped a map from another passenger's pocket. She unfolded it and studied it for several moments.
"Aha!" She declared loudly, causing several people to look in her direction. "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever had a realization before?!" she quipped before turning to Becky. "It's just as I suspected. If things keep going this way, we'll find our shadow figure at high noon half past last Saturday!"
Becky only looked at her. "What does that mean coach?"
Sue snapped the map shut. "It means I smell a rat and soon it will be scuttling it's little feet into the luggage compartment. I will catch that rat. Or my name isn't Colleen Farrell!"
"It isn't," Becky said.
"A minor technicality Becky, a minor technicality."
…
"Damn," David muttered after being informed that the first flight to Lungi was fully booked. The first flight wasn't scheduled to leave for two hours, and the second wouldn't leave until an hour after that, which meant they had a couple of hours to kill. They decided to get a snack and a drink in one of the bars while they waited.
"So," Wes hedged, as he took a sip of his beer. "You broke up with Brianna?"
His friend nodded, swallowing his own drink. "I'd been considering breaking up with her for a while. She just beat me to it when I told her I was going on vacation with you. She said I spent more time with you than I did with her, and that it was totally unfair that I was going away with you and leaving her alone."
"That was pretty much what Courtney said, too. Actually, her exact words were 'you two act like an old married couple! Always spending time together and finishing each other's sentences!'"
They both laughed a little at that, and took another drink. An hour and two beers each later, both men were feeling better about their situations.
"Maybe we've been going about this all wrong," David said.
"What?"
"Dating. Maybe we've just been dating the wrong people." The darker man sat up a little straighter, the beer making him just a tad tipsy. "Women are so emotional and clingy. Maybe we should try dating guys for a while!"
"What?!" Wes said again, sounding skeptical.
"No, no, hear me out! Just think about it! Guys aren't going to get upset when you show up half an hour late, and you don't have to deal with PMS!"
Wes noticed the glint in the other man's eye, and realized he was pulling his leg. The bad thing was, the darker man had almost had him convinced. He always enjoyed hanging around with David more than he did spending time with any of the girlfriends he'd had. He wouldn't admit that out loud, though. David would probably think he was gay or something. Not that there was anything wrong with being gay, he just wasn't, that's all. At least he didn't think he was.
…
"I don't know why I've never been comfortable in any of the relationships I've been in," Wes said, looking past the camera. "I've cared about each and every one of the women I've dated, but for some reason, I've always pulled back when it came to intimacy. The truth is, the only person I've ever been comfortable around is…" He cut himself off with a frown as he realized what he'd been about to say.
…
David studied his best friend over the lip of his beer glass, wondering what the other man was thinking about, and hoping he hadn't ruined everything between them. He'd had plenty of time to think about why his relationships with women just never seemed to work out. Although he'd never told anyone, he'd known for quite some time that he was bisexual. He'd always hoped that his relationship with Wes could evolve beyond friendship, but didn't think Wes felt the same way.
But just for the briefest moment, David thought he saw something in the other man's eyes that made him pause. Maybe it was just the beer clouding his judgement, but he could have sworn he saw something like awareness in those soft brown eyes. And then it was gone as the other man looked down at his own glass of beer.
…
"All teams are now Flying to Lungi, Sierra Leone, Africa on one of two flights. The first plane, which carries Will and Emma, Kurt and Blaine, Sue and Becky, and Sam and Mercedes, is due to land an hour before the second plane, which carries Santana and Brittany, Wes and David, Adam and Chandler, Finn and Rachel, and Nick and Jeff. Once in Lungi, teams will need to find the marked cars and drive themselves to Freetown and locate the National Train Museum and search for their next clue."
…
"There are the cars!" Sam shouted as they raced out of the airport. Kurt and Blaine were right behind them. Will and Emma and Sue and Becky were still going through customs.
"Good job, babe!" Mercedes said, pushing her backpack further up on her back and breaking into a jog. The two teams reached the cars just as Will and Emma exited the doors. "I have the route marked on the map that nice gentleman on the plane gave us," Mercedes said to Kurt and Blaine. "Do you guys want to follow us?"
"That would be awesome, Thanks!" Kurt said, dropping his pack in the back end of their SUV, as Blaine got in the driver's seat. Their camera crew for this leg of the race was Zizes and Matt. Kurt liked both of them, and Kurt was glad Lauren hadn't been seriously hurt in Thailand. Sam and Mercedes' crew was Jake and Ryder, who said they were best friends, but often bickered when the cameras were off, especially if Marley was nearby.
They pulled out as Will and Emma and their crew, Spencer and Roderick, were climbing into their own vehicles. Sue and Becky, with their camera crew of Mason, who had been a PA last season but had moved up to sound man this time, along with his fiance, Jane, the camera person, were right behind them.
When they reached the ferry station, Sam and Mercedes and Kurt and Blaine were several car lengths in front of the other two teams, and just barely made it on the crowded ferry. This bought them a little bit of a lead over Will and Emma and Sue and Becky, which would have to wait for the next ferry, which would depart thirty minutes later.
Once at the museum, they quickly spotted the red and yellow flag beside the clue box.
"Detour! Store or Restore," Mercedes read out loud.
…
"In this detour, teams must choose between two tasks to assist this small museum in the north part of Freetown. In Store, teams must take a tray of goods to a nearby market stall and sell enough commemorative pins to earn the equivalent of twenty US dollars. The task requires little physical work, but finding enough tourists to purchase the pins may take time.
"In Restore, teams will repaint a section of a passenger car that is being restored by the museum and will be put on display. The task is physically demanding, but teams that have good stamina can finish quickly."
…
"Let's do Store," Mercedes said to Sam. "We don't know how large the section of the train car we'll need to paint is, and I'm not sure I can manage it." She had slept badly the night before and woken up with a stiff neck.
"Okay, let's go!" Sam said.
A short distance away, Kurt and Blaine were still debating. "I think repainting the car will be faster, with both of us working on it," Blaine said. Kurt wasn't so sure, but decided to go for it since the train cars were right there.
"Good luck, Boo!" Mercedes said as she and Sam took off with their tray of pins.
Kurt waved at them as he pulled on the overalls they were given to protect their clothes from paint splatter. They were shown where the carriages to be painted were, and Kurt breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the sections weren't as large as he'd feared. The taped off area was only about five feet long, and about seven feet high, with two sets of windows. They found rollers and paint pans, and set to work.
…
The moment Mercedes and Sam entered the market stall, they were surrounded by curious children, all fascinated with Sam's blonde hair, and his huge smile. Mercedes couldn't help smiling as her boyfriend played with the kids as she set up the tray of pins to sell. She loved how gentle and kind Sam was with the children. She knew he'd helped care for his younger brother and sister back home. Someday, he was going to make a great dad.
…
"Now that our friends know how much Sam means to me, I've been thinking about our future together, and how amazing he would be with our kids. I'd never really thought about myself as a mom before, but with Sam, I can see myself in that role, and know that our kids would be happy and well cared for."
...
"Hey, can you guys help us out?" Sam asked the kids. "We need to sell as many of these pins as we can. Can you help us get some customers?"
"Yes!" they shouted, and began shouting for people to come buy the pins. Within a few minutes, they had several customers, and had more than half of what they needed to complete the task.
...
The task was a little harder than Kurt and Blaine expected, because the hot, dry air made the paint hard to spread evenly, as it dried fast and left lumps and bubbles. They still had about a little more than a fifth of the section to go when Sue and Becky joined them. They heard Will and Emma ask for a tray of pins, and assumed they were going for the other half of the detour.
...
"Becky, you're doing a better job at getting the paint on yourself. Maybe you should stand against the wall and act as a sponge," Sue said, expertly hiding the fact that she was fighting with the roller to get the paint to spread.
"Copy that coach," Becky said, dropping her own roller and pressing herself flat against the wall.
Sue halted in her actions, watching her companion for a moment. She wasn't sure why Becky tended to take so many things literally, but it made her a highly entertaining companion.
"Did I ever tell you about the time I was hired to paint the Golden Gate Bridge?" Sue suddenly asked as Becky rolled herself back and forth. "I had the perfect idea for it too. One that would have made it stand out in the fog. I was going to paint it black and yellow Becky!"
Becky paused and looked up at her. "What happened coach?" she asked.
Sue snarled. "They decided they didn't want people to think they were driving towards a swarm of bees and dismissed me from the project. Then they painted it that hideous orange. No wonder it's iconic. It always looks rusted!"
Becky wouldn't be the first to realize that there was no possible way Sue Sylvester was around when the Golden Gate Bridge was built. Unless of course, she was some sort of immortal being, which Sue was highly likely to claim true.
...
Sam and Mercedes returned from the Store detour just as Kurt and Blaine were finishing the task, and the two men got their next clue just minutes after the other couple.
"Drive yourself to Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and search for your next clue!" Blaine read.
Sam and Mercedes were still at their car, looking over their map when Kurt and Blaine reached them.
"There are two routes, but I'm not sure which one is faster," Sam said.
"We can stop at the gas station we passed on the way here and ask," Blaine said. "We need gas and some drinks anyway!"
"Okay, follow us!" Sam said, and they scrambled into their cars, just as Wes and David and Santana and Brittany arrived. As they were pulling into the gas station, they spotted Adam and Chandler heading to the museum.
Sam asked for directions, while Kurt, Blaine, and Mercedes bought some drinks and snacks, and fueled up the SUVs. It was a good thing Kurt thought to double check what kind of fuel to put in the large vehicles, as it would have been a disaster if they had used unleaded in the diesel tanks. As they were leaving, they spotted the rest of the teams heading to the Detour.
"Okay," Sam said as he rejoined them. "There was a nice cop in there who told me that Hill Cot Road is the fastest way, by more than ten minutes. Stay with us, though. You don't want to get lost!"
"Sounds good. We have a decent lead on the others." Kurt said.
The drive was one of the most beautiful they had experienced on any leg of the race to date, including last season. While they were still within the city itself, they saw children laughing and playing with homemade toys. There wasn't an xbox or playstation or nintendo to be seen, but the kids still seemed happy. Once they were out of town, they saw wildlife roaming freely, including a herd of impalas, a family of elephants, and a pair of male lions walking beside the road. It was amazing.
…
"Seeing something like that on TV doesn't do it justice," Kurt said, glancing from Blaine to the camera. "Those lions were within arms reach, literally, and they weren't phased by the traffic passing them by."
"I was in awe of the elephants!" Blaine had a dopey grin on his face. "I've seen them in the zoo before, but they seemed so much larger in the wild!"
…
Nick was sweating profusely, and Jeff was starting to turn red from the heat. They had been the last team to arrive at the Restore detour, and were quickly falling further behind the others. Sue and Becky were almost finished, and Adam and Chandler were surprisingly muscling their way through it, both most likely motivated by the fact that Kurt was already gone and they wanted to catch up so they could continue to stalk him.
When Adam and Chandler finished before Sue and Becky, Nick knew they had to do something. "I think we need to use the Express Pass."
Jeff just nodded, feeling a little sick from the heat. "Let's get out of here!"
…
"Jeff had gotten seasick on the ferry, so he was a little dehydrated," Nick said to the camera, "and I wanted to get out of there fast so I could make sure he got something cold to drink, before he got worse. If Kurt and Blaine hadn't given us the Express Pass, I'm sure Jeff would have passed out from heat and dehydration."
...
They handed the officiant the pass, just as Sue called for the judge to check their work. Only Santana and Brittany were still painting. Wes and David and Finn and Rachel had gone for the other detour. Wes and David had returned just before Adam and Chandler left, and Finn and Rachel were now just ahead of Nick and Jeff. The latter team were at the gas station when Nick and Jeff stopped for gas, making sure to check the label on the hatch for the gas to see what kind of fuel to use.
"Do you know how to get there?" Finn asked.
"Yeah, I saw it on the map earlier. We want to take Hill Cot road!" Jeff informed them. "You guys want to follow us?"
"Cool, thanks, dudes!" the taller man said. When they got back on the road, they spotted Adam and Chandler ahead of them, turning on to Bai Bureh Road, which was the other, longer route to the preserve. Sue and Becky followed them.
"Sucks for them," Nick said, turning in the other direction.
…
"Wes, we're done!" David called out to his partner, but the other man didn't seem to hear him. "Wes! Come on dude, we've sold enough pins to earn the money!"
The Asian man seemed to snap out of some deep thought as he shook his head and turned to David. "What?"
"I said we have enough money to finish the detour! What's the matter with you today? You seem to be a million miles away!"
"Sorry, I was just thinking about what went wrong between Courtney and me."
David frowned at his friend. "You're really taking this break up hard. You've broken up with other women before. Why is this one so different?"
Wes shrugged. He really couldn't explain it. It wasn't that he was in love with Courtney. He'd liked her enough, and she was normally a sweet and level headed girl, except when it came to his friendship with David.
Courtney had always complained that he spent more time with the dark skinned man than he did with her, and pointed out that whenever he and David hung out, Wes was more relaxed and free spirited, while he was often withdrawn and tense with her. He'd always say that was because he'd known David longer, and it took him a long time to loosen up around most people. She would always just give him this look he couldn't interpret, and then ignore him for a few days.
"I don't know," he finally replied. "Maybe because I'm starting to think I'm not cut out for a relationship? Maybe I'm doomed to spending the rest of my life alone because I can't seem to connect with anyone except…"
He cut himself off before he could finish that statement, which caused David to give him a worried look, but the other man just shrugged it off for the moment. "You're just feeling depressed right now, man. I'm sure you won't spend the rest of your life alone. Someday you'll find some gi…" David seemed to choke on the word, and covered it with a cough. "Someone who you will fall in love with and spend the rest of your life with."
Wes gave him a lopsided smile. "Thanks. Let's turn in the money and get out of here."
…
"Roadblock!" Sam read. "Who is ready to Plight their Troth?" The blonde man frowned. "What does that even mean?"
A few yards over, Kurt and Blaine were reading the same clue. "It's your turn, honey," Blaine said, handing Kurt the slip of paper.
…
In this Roadblock, one team member must carry a twenty-five pound bunch of bananas or bag of oranges a quarter of a mile to one of the feeding platforms and feed twenty fruits to the chimps, before they receive their next clue."
…
"I'll do it," Mercedes said. A moment later she and Kurt were heading into the jungle, each carrying a heavy load.
Kurt managed his bunch of bananas well, but Mercedes began struggling with her bag of oranges soon after entering the marked path. The rules forbade Kurt from helping her with the burden, but he couldn't stop himself from steadying her when they had to climb over a small fallen tree, or when they had to go down steps made of stones.
It took about twenty minutes to reach the feeding platform, where a group of about fifteen chimps were gathered. Most of them scattered as the two racers approached, but a couple older looking ones remained and watched them warily. Kurt pulled off several bananas as Mercedes opened her bag and pulled out a few oranges. She offered one of the fruits to the graying chimp closest to her, but the old matriarch just studied her for a few minutes before reaching for it.
This seemed to be the signal to the others that it was safe, and a young mother carrying a baby that couldn't be more than a few days old approached Kurt. The mother seemed more fascinated with his hair than the fruit he was offering her. He was only slightly dismayed when the chimp reached up and began running her fingers through it.
Mercedes began laughing when one of the chimps, who looked to be one of the older youths in the group, tried to climb inside her shirt. She gently pushed them away, and offered them an orange. It took them another ten minutes before they'd given out their twenty pieces of fruit each, and they were handed their next clues.
Getting back to the parking lot was faster than the hike to the platform, since they didn't have anything heavy to carry. Will and Emma were just pulling in, and they could see another team vehicle approaching, though they couldn't yet see who it was, as they opened their clues.
"Drive yourselves to the Peace Museum and search for your next clue," Kurt read. "I actually know where that is! It's back in Freetown, I read about it in a newspaper on the plane last night." He pointed it out on Sam and Mercedes' map.
"Great, let's go!" Sam said, racing to their car. As they were pulling out, they saw that the other team that had been approaching was Wes and David, and as they were heading back towards Freetown, they spotted Nick and Jeff and Finn and Rachel.
…
"Damn it," Adam said from the backseat. "We're never going to catch up with Kurt at this pace!"
Their camera crew exchanged a look, rolling their eyes. Dottie, their sound person, wished they'd been assigned to a different team that leg. She really didn't like these two guys. The cameraman, JBI, however thrived on this kind of drama.
"Are you sure the map said to go down this way?" Chandler asked from the driver's seat, not taking his eyes from the road. "I don't see any indication that we're getting anywhere near where we need to be."
Adam checked the map again. "The guy at the gas station said there were two routes, and this was one of them. He didn't know which one was faster."
Chandler grumbled, an unusual reaction for the overly chipper young man. "He must have told us the wrong one then."
After a few minutes, they finally saw a sign indicating they were getting close to the Chimp preserve.
"Maybe we'll get lucky and Kurt hasn't finished the next task yet, and we can catch up." Adam said, thoughts somewhere else, completely.
…
"Looks like you've made some new friends," Will said, smiling at Rachel. He'd never seen the younger woman so happy and open, or so relaxed as she was at that moment with a young chimp looking over each of her shoulders. He hadn't heard her complain once on the hike from the parking lot to the feeding platform, not even when she dropped the bag of oranges on her foot while climbing over the fallen tree.
Will and Emma hadn't had much exposure to Rachel in their first race, but had heard all about her antics from the other racers in Sequesterville, and had spent about a week with her and Jesse when the two of them had been eliminated. Jesse had pretty much locked himself off from everyone, while Rachel had moped in a corner until Carole and Finn had arrived on the last day before they were flown to Portland for the final leg of the race. The young woman he was looking at at that moment seemed like a completely different person, and he was happy for her.
…
"It was the difference between night and day, seeing her so happy," Will said, his arm draped around Emma's shoulders. "I couldn't believe it was the same young woman. I'm not sure what has changed since the last time, but whatever it was, I'm glad she's found it."
...
She smiled back at him as another chimp began grooming the hair at the back of his neck. A few feet away, it looked like Nick was getting hit on by a young female who had latched onto his side and refused to let him put her down. Even Wes seemed to be relaxed and not in too much of a hurry to get his clue as the large, old, grey male leader of the chimp troupe sat beside him and stared deep into his eyes.
Eventually, they all finished feeding the fruit to the primates and received their clues, and headed back towards their partners. Chandler and Becky were just heading into the jungle as the other four teams reached the parking lot. There was no sign of Santana and Brittany.
…
Swearing in Spanish, Santana glared at the car stalled on the side of the road, as Brittany hugged her from behind.
"Where are Kurt or Burt when I need them?" the Latina demanded, kicking the side of the vehicle. It had died for no reason as far as she could tell.
"I'm sorry, Tana. I wish I could fix it for you," Brittany said. "Unfortunately the only thing I know about mechanics is that some of them look hot in overalls and grease stained white tees."
Santana couldn't help the little laugh that statement brought forth, and turned in the blonde woman's arms, hugging her. "Don't ever change, sweetie."
They flagged down a passing car, and the older gentleman took a look at their engine. "What kind of fuel did you put in the tank?"
Santana frowned. "Unleaded?" she replied, uncertainly.
"Well, that's your problem. This is a diesel engine. Luckily for you, my brother-in-law lives nearby, and has a tow truck. He can tow you to a gas station and flush the line for you, and you can put the proper fuel in and be on your way."
"Thank you!" Santana said, hugging the kind stranger.
The tow truck arrived about ten minutes later, and they were back on the road within an hour. Unfortunately, in the race, sixty minutes was a big deficit.
…
"I really thought we were out of the race," Santana said directly to the camera. "I was sure this would have been the end of the line for us, but we weren't going to give up. You know what they say, it isn't over until Phil tells you it's over."
Brittany smiled serenely.
…
Becky was more so dragging the sack of oranges along the ground rather than attempting to carry it. How did they expect her to lift that thing? She was still covered in paint from the previous task and it had dried, leaving her with splotches everywhere.
"Would you hurry up?" Chandler whined from behind her on the path. "Some of us are actually in a hurry!"
"What's your fascination with Kurt anyway?" Becky asked, attempting to drag the oranges over the log. She didn't even comment that it was too heavy to carry. She had more pride than that. "He's not even that cute."
Chandler glared at her. "Kurt Hummel is the most beautiful being on the planet!" He climbed over the log, and finally managed to pass her when the path widened out just enough. "Don't you ever say anything about Kurt! He's a god! I worship him!"
Becky stopped in her tracks, placing both hands on her hips and returning the favor of a glare. "Geez, haven't you ever heard of people having different types before? So I don't think he's that cute, so what? The rest of the world seems to disagree with me. Big deal!"
He stopped and turned to look at her. "You're a fool, then. You'll see! When I get back home to my shrine, I will pray that Kurt smites you for your foolishness!"
"Your shrine?" Becky commented, laughter on her face. "First of all, it doesn't matter that I don't think he's that cute, he wouldn't be interested in me anyway! Secondly, you don't have a chance against gay Blaine. He's such a stud, even girls tried to get with him while knowing he was gay!"
"Blaine is pathetic! You'll see! Kurt WILL be mine!" He picked up his bunch of bananas and stormed off.
"In your dreams, you overexcited minx!" Becky yelled, forcefully grabbing her oranges and dragging them at a much faster pace. She was going to have to pass on the development of a shrine to coach when she got back.
…
"There it is!" Mercedes pointed out to Sam, who was driving. "I see the clue box!"
They jumped out just as Kurt and Blaine pulled up beside them. Sam and Mercedes just beat the two young men to the clue box.
"Pay your respects to those who lost their lives during Sierra Leones' Civil War," Mercedes and Blaine read aloud at the same time.
…
"Between 1991 and 2002, Sierra Leone was embroiled in a bloody civil war, and thousands of individuals were killed. In 1999, the UN intervened, beginning the peace process in the region. The British government sent troops to support its former colony and defend Freetown from rebels, who continued to attempt to take over the region, until 2002, when the embattled government finally succeeded in taking control of the region and bringing the conflict to an end.
"Each team member must lay a rose at the memorial wall at the Freetown Peace Museum, before receiving their next clue."
…
They picked up their roses from the attendant by the door, and as they stood before the mural painted wall, they each took a moment to think about life, and how lucky they were to have all the things they had.
Mercedes had tears in her eyes as she and Sam placed their roses, and even Kurt and Blaine had to wipe their eyes before the curator handed them their next clue.
"Drive yourselves to the Cotton Tree, and find Phil underneath," Mercedes read. Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look. The clue didn't mention a pit stop. Memories of the last race filled their minds, and they just shrugged at each other before rushing to their vehicles.
"Do you know where this is?" Sam asked.
"It's that large tree in the middle of the roundabout we passed coming into town from the airport, I think," Kurt replied. "You can follow us if you want."
Mercedes nodded, taking the wheel as Sam got in the backseat. Kurt drove this time, as Blaine gave him directions from what he remembered earlier.
They easily spotted Phil under the tree when they pulled into the marked parking area across the street. Kurt could have moved a little faster getting out of the SUV, but took a little extra time making sure he had the race pack properly secured around his waist, allowing Sam and Mercedes to reach Phil first.
"Sam and Mercedes, you are team number one!"
"Oh my gosh! Really?" Mercedes asked, squeezing Sam's hand. "You're making me cry, Phil!"
"Yes, really!" Phil assured her. "And as the winner of this leg of the race, you have won a trip for two to Barbados, that you can enjoy after the race. Kurt and Blaine, come on in here."
Kurt and Blaine grinned at their friends as they joined them on the mat. Blaine had been fully aware that Kurt had taken his time so the other couple could come in first, and he was fine with that. They hugged Sam and Mercedes.
"Kurt and Blaine, you are team number two, however, this leg is not over, and you are all still racing! Here are your next clues!" He handed each team an envelope. "Don't waste any more time, get racing!"
They ripped open the familiar yellow envelope, and read out loud. "Fly to Athens, Greece, then travel by taxi to Dimotiki Agora and search for your next clue!"
…
"Bloody hell!" Adam swore as the SUV came to a lurching halt. "I told you you were going too fast! Now look what you've done, you bloody twit!" He jumped out of the vehicle to examine the source of the bone-jarring thud they had just experienced, prior to the vehicle jerking to the right and barely missed turning on its side in a ditch. Even in the fading sunlight, it was easy to spot the problem. They'd hit a massive pothole in the road, causing the SUV to bounce hard. "You've snapped the axel!"
"Well excuse me! You were the one who kept saying we had to catch up with Kurt!"
"I didn't tell you to drive like a maniac! How are either of us supposed to win Kurt back if we get eliminated? Or killed?"
As the two men continued to bicker, their camera crew continued to film the drama. Dottie may have taken her time calling for a replacement vehicle.
…
"That was so fun, Tana!" Brittany gushed as she handed the dark haired woman the clue envelope. "There was this mommy chimp with a tiny baby, and she sat beside me and played with my hair, and then the baby climbed into my lap and fell asleep! I really didn't want to leave, but once I passed out all my fruit, I knew I had to get back to you, but I wish you could have come with me! You would have loved it!"bn M not hubby nun man who
Santana smiled sweetly at the blonde woman. "I'm happy you had fun, babe. Come on now, we have more places to visit!"
They were halfway back to Freetown when they noticed the SUV sitting on the side of the road. It was identical to the one they were currently riding in.
"Is that those two mean guys who want to break up Kurt and Blaine?" Brit asked.
Santana smirked when she realized the vehicle had a cracked axle. "It sure is, sweetie."
She honked at the two men as they passed, rolling her window down to shout, "so long, suckers!"
…
Emma couldn't stop crying as she placed the rose at the base of the memorial wall. Will hugged her, unbelievably proud of how calm she had been since landing in Africa. She hadn't even flinched at the detour earlier as they'd entered the dusty market stall, and she'd been too focused on the smiling, happy children playing in the streets on the road to and from the roadblock to notice the poor conditions they lived in.
It wasn't until she'd read about the atrocities that had occurred during the civil war that she had lost her composure and began to tear up. "You're doing great, Em. We're almost done."
Emma just smiled through her tears. "I'm okay, Will. It's just sad thinking about how all of this could have been avoided if people just got together and cleaned the city instead of fighting!"
Will held back the little bark of laughter that wanted to escape at his fiance's logic, and just hugged her tighter. "Come on, Wes and David weren't too far ahead of us, and Nick and Jeff and Finn and Rachel aren't that far behind us."
…
"Wes and David, you are the third team to arrive, however, this leg is not over and you are still racing! Here is your next clue!"
"Will and Emma, you are still racing, here is your next clue!"
"Nick and Jeff, your race is not over, here is your next clue!"
"Finn and Rachel, I have another clue for you, you are still racing!"
…
"I'm sorry, there are no more flights out tonight," the woman at the ticketing counter informed Sam and Mercedes. "The next flight to Athens isn't until five AM tomorrow morning."
"Seriously?" Kurt asked, having overheard the news as he and Blaine walked up behind the other couple.
"How many seats are available on the first flight?" Sam asked.
It took a moment for the woman to reply. "It is already more than half filled."
"Looks like some teams might not make that flight," Mercedes said. "We'll book it, please." She handed over their credit card and documents.
Once the two teams had purchased their tickets, they decided to get something to eat in one of the small restaurants near the airport. By the time they returned, Wes and David, Will and Emma, and Nick and Jeff had all arrived.
"Did you guys get on the five o'clock flight?" Blaine asked.
"Yeah, but I don't think anyone else is going to get on. I'm pretty sure Nick and Jeff got the last seats," David replied.
Blaine noticed that Wes seemed distracted. "Everything okay?" he asked his friend.
Wes shrugged. "Just have a lot on my mind, I guess." He seemed to be considering something, and after a moment, he pulled Blaine aside. "Can I talk to you for a little bit? Maybe you can help me sort some things out."
"Sure, Wes, you know I'm always here for you to talk to." They excused themselves from their teammates and found a lounge where they could have a little privacy. Kurt watched them walk away.
He was just thinking to himself that he hoped Wes was okay when he spotted it. A familiar tall lanky figure, turned partially away from him, standing at a payphone. He looked as if he was using the phone, but Kurt knew better.
Sebastian Smythe was once again, stalking around them. But how the hell did he know where they would be and when? Was he banging a production assistant to get the details on the full course of the race?
The pale man shook his head off. He couldn't consider something like that. His knuckles turned even paler as he gripped the arms of his chair. He already had to deal with two former boyfriends. He didn't need a meerkat stalker following him and Blaine around too.
It was then that Sebastian attempted the sly glance over his shoulder, failing to feign talking on the phone as he smirked at the other man. Kurt was tempted to point him out to airport security. But the problem here was that he wasn't actually doing anything wrong. So there wasn't really any point in calling attention to the stalker.
"Damnit," he muttered to himself, loosening his grip on the arms of the chair and slumping a little in defeat.
Kurt was distracted when Finn and Rachel joined them. Rachel looked a little upset, but she was behaving herself and not throwing a tantrum.
"They said the first flight was sold out, so we had them put us on standby," she explained. "We can't buy tickets for the second flight until we find out if we're going to make it on the earlier flight."
Finn shrugged. "It's risky, of course, but if it pays off, we'll have a thirty minute lead on anyone who gets on the second flight."
When Kurt glanced back towards the payphone, Sebastian was gone.
…
"Sue and Becky, this leg of the race is not over, here is your next clue!"
Santana and Brittany, you are still racing, here is your next clue. Good Luck!"
"Yes! Thank you Phil!" Santana kissed the host on the cheek before snatching the clue from his hand and running back to their SUV.
…
"I wonder what those two are talking about? They've been in there for over an hour now." Mercedes asked as she and Kurt walked past the lounge where Wes and Blaine were sitting in a booth near the window. She and Kurt had decided to walk around the concourse for a while to loosen up after having spent most of the day in cars or airplanes.
Kurt shrugged, still a little distracted by the latest sighting of Sebastian. "Probably something to do with the fact that Wes is finally starting to realize he may not be as straight as he always thought he was."
"What?"
"Blaine is pretty sure Wes and David are in love, but are too clueless to admit it to each other, let alone themselves. They've all known each other since junior high school. Well, that was when Blaine met them, but they've actually known each other longer."
Mercedes just shook her head. "When are people going to learn you can't help who you fall in love with?"
Kurt smiled and put an arm around her shoulders as they continued their walk.
"Oh, look, Mercedes!" he pointed out the jewelry store they were passing. There was a display of engagement rings in the window, including some that were obviously designed for men. The one Kurt was pointing out was a twisted band of platinum and black titanium, with a small square cut diamond, set flat into the band. "That's exactly the ring I was looking for for Blaine!"
"It is pretty. But are you sure you're ready to take that step, Boo?"
Kurt shrugged and smiled at her. "From the moment we first met, I just knew he was the one I'd been searching for. He makes me feel so safe, and I know he loves me as much as I love him."
"Awe, that's so sweet!" Mercedes said, hugging him. "Too bad you can't buy the ring now."
Kurt sighed. It was true, he didn't have his own money with him, only the stipend they were given for each leg of the race, which he couldn't spend on something that expensive.
"I'll buy it for you," a voice chirped from nearby, causing Kurt to flinch before he even turned to look at the two men standing behind them. Chandler was grinning, as Adam looked thoughtful. "It would look perfect on your finger when we get married!"
"Ugh! Don't make me sick!" Kurt said, turning to walk back towards the others with Mercedes right beside him.
They reached the entrance of the lounge just as Wes and Blaine were exiting, and Kurt rushed into his boyfriend's arms, feeling the eyes of the other two men still on him, and making him feel dirty.
"Can we get out of here for a while?" Kurt pleaded. Between thinking he saw Sebastian earlier and the way Chandler and Adam were staring at him, he was on the verge of a massive panic attack.
Blaine saw the other two men watching them, and glared at them before answering. "Of course, sweetheart. Let's go."
To Be Continued...
